


Homecoming

by stellarstatelogic



Series: Forerunner Chronicles: Mundus Calendarium [2]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Meetings, Love at First Sight, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 09:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6848611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarstatelogic/pseuds/stellarstatelogic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a Manipular who tried to find meaning to the Mantle that he would bear, and had his answer found in the most unlikely of places.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**ECUMENE MUNDUS CALENDARIUM XVII 83137**

_**= Terrarium, Charum Hakkor, Hakkor System, Orion Sector, Thema ϑ0013 =** _

 

The Terrarium has been anticipating visitors. 

The Lifeworker First-form stood at the middle of an arching sky bridge stretching in between two modestly ornate buildings of obvious Forerunner architecture. The grace remained in her slender and unwavering form amidst the high-wind that soared past her opalescent aqua green robe and her long, pale locks. Her hopeful eyes of pastel lavender shimmered in exuberance as she gazed towards a flotilla of sleek, silvery ships. Their bluish bursts of engine fire pulsed the horizon alit as they slowly descended with accordance with silvery strands of Charum Hakkor’s local Star Roads. 

As the ships approached further towards the Terrarium, the First-form raised her right hand to cover her eyes from the shower of reflective lights while gazing further towards the upmost tip of the massive lozenge with eager interest. She studied in great awe as her eyes trailed from the geometrical contour of the largest vessel, along the the subtle, bluish patterns engraved upon its overbearing surface.

"Mis— Mist!" 

A voice familiar to the young Lifeworker pierced through the gust and beckoned for her attention, who then promptly turned herself towards the source of the intrusion — at the other end of the sky bridge, Calyx-of-Lotus-Song, a Lifeworker Third-form of considerable age whom she would recognize as her caretaker since her most youthful years. Loyal and attentive, Calyx always knew where to find her. 

"Calyx—" A small frown tangled between Mist’s brows as she heeded towards the older Lifeworker apologetically. 

"You are supposed to be at the Gate, Mist." 

"I know. Apologies." 

"You are here because you have yet seen any Warrior flagships in your entire life. I know." Calyx continued with her soft reprimanding while reaching out to gently brush a finger across Mist’s cheeks; a common gesture to ease a younger Forerunner. "Aya, the Matriarch awaits, make haste." 

The First-form didn’t need a second reminder to know that she must rush back down to ground level at once — weeks ago, the Lifeshaper known as the Matriarch has specifically told her in person that it would be the homecoming of one of their most treasured ally: the _Protector of the Ecumene_ herself, would soon be visiting the Terrarium in person. Mist has anticipated while acknowledging fully of the weight of those words; she was after all, the Matriarch’s daughter.

 

* * *

 

Mist made it back to the Terrarium’s courtyard with a timely manner, and with the grace from her people’s technology, the personal robe and helm have always able to keep her exterior tidy enough to be presentable. Her effort to blend in was a fruit of her long years of cultivating and fostering friendship with fellow staffs and guardsmen in the facility. There at the courtyard she has started to work her way in from behind the many organized rows of Lifeworkers and Warriors, who have shoved the First-form between themselves in a harmonious and subtle way. Eventually, she made it to her goal, where she would be standing right next to the Matriarch, who simply responded with a soft tilt on her head as her daughter gave a small nod in apology. The Lifeshaper known as the Matriarch was adorned by usual personal robe of jet black and flame orange colors. Her dark-colored face remained bare and fair like the soft violet skies which stood out amidst the large crowd of Forerunners in their pale, grayish garments and visors of aqua green and blue. Her eyes of bright, yellowish green fixated themselves towards the gate of her realm in calmness as she led her Lifeworkers and commissioned Warriors to the Protector, who was an old friend and political acquaintance.

Within moments, the gates of the Terrarium then unfolded itself in an elegant, almost musical rhythm to greet the homecoming delegation of Warriors. The march was led by none other than the Protector of the Ecumene herself, whose armor was dark gray and jet black with its seams and stabilizers glowing in the shade of blue signature to the rate of Warriors. Like the Matriarch, the Protector did not wear her helmet, albeit a visor was there to cover her eyes. Mist knew; she has once had the audacity to have personally asked the Protector of such stories as a Manipular. At the time, the old Promethean has told her that she has lost her eyes during the Kradal conflict and now the blue shards placed upon her sockets were there to see for her. 

Mist has noticed how the Protector has brought a rather fair amount of Warriors Mist does not recognize. She knew intuitively that those Warriors felt different. The Terrarium was not without the posting of Warriors, and the finest of them could cast a formidable presence. Still, the First-form could feel the difference in the ambiance they bring. Perhaps it was the Protector’s presence that has amplified the prowess; at least that was what the young Lifeworker would assume, because it was too obvious that those accompanying the Protector live in a kind of world of which she has never or yet to have seen. 

"Focuslight." She whispered within her mind to inquire her personal ancilla. "Who are the visitors?" 

On cue, her ancilla began to chant off a list of names of Warriors along with their Ranks. Names she has never heard of. _Prometheans; that would explain everything._ Mist knew by factual knowledge that Prometheans were renowned Warriors revered by valiance and prowess. They were the exemplars of might and temperance who live their virtuous oath as the embodiment of the Mantle of Responsibility. But there was one that didn’t quite fit in. Rate-less as a Manipular he was, yet was able to march close aside the Protector. The sight intrigued Mist; she has never recalled the Protector to have a child. 

He was even quite tall as a Manipular — taller than her. 

She blinked slowly through her mask out of sheer curiosity. 

While the Lifeshaper greeted the delegates with courteous words, and many small talks would be exchanged between her to the Protector and her subordinates, Mist had her attention paid on the Manipular more than for the trivial small talks. She didn’t even notice how focused she was in observing him: her eyes squinted as she tried to contemplate over a million reasons for him to visit the Terrarium with the Protector. 

“Mist.” 

A pause over a missing cue prompted her of stutter. 

“----Yes, Mother?” She quickly replied, albeit she knew the Lifeshaper must have noticed her absence at heart. Albeit the mask has obscured her face, which was already been smeared in soft blush out of shame, she knew her mother would know. Worse yet, the Manipular would’ve noticed how she has taken notice of him — of the way he has started to stare back at her. Her luck has apparently run out. 

"Mist, may you take this young one for a tour of our facility;" ordered the Matriarch in her usual benevolence. 

"Yes, Mother," her voice would be in the usual soft and obedient tone to comply with her mother’s request. She saw how the Lifeshaper smiled in response and knew it wasn’t out of satisfaction. Mist sighed quietly, and frowned within the personal comfort graced by her headgear.


	2. Chapter 2

Mist gestured the taller Manipular to follow her with a courteous nod. It wasn’t the first time she has been asked by the Lifeshaper to tour their guests around their facility, but for some reasons it feels rather uncomfortable this time. She could feel how her own shoulders began to tense up and how it was beginning to affect her walking posture into gaits unnaturally stiff and heavy. She knew the reason of it — not only because the prior disgrace she has presented at the courtyard, but it was how she has been raised as the only child in the Terrarium among the abundance of Lifeworkers, human scholars, many whom she has regarded as her teachers from both races. On the contrary, she has never interacted with a Forerunner Manipular, even after she has received her maturation into a First-form. Mist sighed once again; perhaps it was why the Lifeshaper wanted her to take the young one around. Such inexperience must be overcome sooner or later. 

With a sheepish attempt, she glanced upwards from the corner of her vision, towards the Manipular’s face, which has conventionally been shielded by his mask. Contrary to her ineptness, the guest seemed to be undisturbed by her curiosity, who quietly followed the First-form with his sure steps. Mist observed, and noticed how his posture seemed rather sophisticatedly trained, of a well-cohered sense of subsumed aggressiveness woven within every bit of his movement. _Like a Warrior_ , she thought to herself. 

The two strode in silence through the long corridor which stretched through one of the lush, meadowy pasture bound within the facility’s parameter. Mist noticed how the Manipular intended to stop by, and merely let him be. 

"This is the Third Garden of Evening Star, where the Lifeworkers observe and study the nocturnal species of the wetlands known as the _Great Shu'enrh Sea_ by the locals." She introduced to the Manipular while standing gracefully with hands clasped by her abdomen. She knew her tone should be courteous and kind; she should be like the Matriarch, yet the manner of her deliverance was still too plain to even quality her self-expectation. 

"Aya," he simply acknowledged in a tone far plainer while gazing towards the far end of the garden, scanning through every piece of grass slowly as his head panned slowly across the scenery. 

"Would you like to explore more of this garden?" she tilted her head slightly and inquisitively. 

"Neigh, this will be enough." 

"Acknowledged." 

Mist nodded, and let out a small, discouraged sigh behind her mask while maintaining her image as graceful as possible. She was inclined to regard the lack of words between themselves as a phenomenon that has been caused by unfamiliarity, and perhaps of what the older Lifeworkers would often say about the Rate differences. The subtlety in dealing with such delicate matter was also something she would acquire in due time. And for her guest — as far as she would be willing to try, she was still trying to figure out his preference. If the meadow would not beckon interest, perhaps other gardens would. 

With such thought became adamant, she then led her guest through another two gardens, of which he would merely stop by briefly to gaze around but would never express enough interest to venture further. She began to wonder if such disinterest could be from his Warrior teachings, or if his apathy could be something more personal. 

"I apologize, if this facility could be dull to your taste;" she attempted to break the ice with an apology. 

"Neigh, it is not your fault;" he replied, and stopped briefly to gaze down towards her. "I do enjoy it, the scenery. It however…… raised a question." 

Her eyes lit up. 

"If I may ask, what would it be?" Mist could hear how her pitch raised in excitement and how the corner of her lips has lifted slightly. There seemed hope to mend their distance, and perhaps making a friend, if it should go well enough. 

The taller Manipular hesitated. "Don’t these…… gardens, pose threat?" 

Mist couldn’t help but let out of soft giggle at this question, which obviously startled him, much to her own disgrace. 

“What was that?!” He tilted his head and hesitated, as if he was trying to recall something from deep within his memories; “That sound you've just made. You just…… laughed. Like……” 

His voice trailed off, and the First-form intuitively bit her lower lip and gazed off towards the floor, knowing how she now has to put more effort to ease him. 

“A human. I know.” She finished his words for him quietly and looked back up to find that he has been staring at her. “But I am a Forerunner. Truly. Honest.” She gestured with the both of her hand as an attempt to emphasize reassurance — out of obvious franticness; the Lifeshaper would be most displeased if she would know how her daughter has treated their guest. 

“Hmm.” The Manipular made a soft grunt as he shifted his weight from one side to another, which also brought his tilted head towards the other side in a rather lazy fashion -- of which Mist has found herself musing over his gesture, and had to suppress another giggle with a deep inhale followed by a long sigh. She took her index and middle finger to tap briefly on the neural interface crystal on her forehead, then tapped over towards her mask, where her lips would be. A form of formal apology: 

"I didn’t mean to make you look foolish, it was an interesting question." She took another deep inhale to keep herself calm, then emphasized once again: "It was actually a decent question. You know how we do have Warriors stationed in this facility, certainly for their protocols and safekeeping. But what made you think that our gardens, within our quarantine, could pose threat?" 

He became confounded, and apparently starting to lose his cool. His eyes trailed over towards the horizon once again before replying her question with his own. "Would it not? All the animals, and plants? Animals are aggressive. And many were born with defensive organs — teeth, claws, toxin, so are the plants." 

"And would you say we cease to study them, merely because they are potentially lethal?" 

"No." He shook his head. "We should study them. Just — it was taught. Everything is potentially lethal, and it would be a Warrior’s duty to protect anyone from its threat, to tame them by the name of the Mantle, to show that nothing is matched with the Forerunners' might — yet Lifeworkers walk amongst the unknown and the dreadful and just never seem to know threat nor danger." 

"I see," she nodded. "The impression is biased from your way of seeing things, it is both right and wrong. Lifeworkers do what Lifeworkers do because it is our role and duty to explore and discover. By the Lifeworkers' interpretation of the Mantle of Responsibility, we let the species be so we may learn from them and understand how to protect and conserve them as they are. They, like us, are creations of evolution, a figment of the Living Time. Thus valuable knowledge can be gained from them, albeit — if I were to say it from my own experience, I believe the act of taming does not require the other to submit nor through contention, at least, not usually, for me." 

The taller Manipular looked back at her as if he has realized something. 

"So you are _the Librarian_." 

"I am," it'd be her turn to tilt her head in bafflement; "How have you learned of this title?" 

"The Warriors," he hesitated; "Some knew the Protector was bringing me to Charum Hakkor. They served here, and told me that I need to look out for...... the Librarian. 'She might take you to places worse than any of your training grounds,' they said."

"Aya." 

"Apologies." 

"Pardoned," she eased him with her right hand raised to the height of her chest and palm facing towards him. "I was the one who has made their tasks harder than their routinely works." 

"What happened?" 

"Well…… You are a Manipular."

"And does that matter?" His tone deepened, and she has promptly picked up his defensiveness.

"You are yet to be a Warrior, and I am tasked to take you on a harmless tour which is obviously different from a patrol. Though I suppose there is a place that can help you understand. Somewhere…… not quite following the usual route," she shrugged and let out a hand towards him, obviously asking him to take it; "If you would like to venture?"

"To places worse than my training grounds?" 

"It does depend on your capability." 

He paused to stare at her for a long moment before he has finally nodded. Albeit he would still be reluctant to make physical contact and has left Mist’s hand still emptied before she took it back. Regardless, his tone seemed determined with interest, as if he was taking on a challenge awaiting him: 

"I hope to comprehend, if you would show me."


	3. Chapter 3

After a few transferring through teleportation pads and manual lifts, which the Manipular would often offer his strength in labor with her guidance and direction, the two were finally able to reach a sky bridge similar to the one which Mist was standing just moments ago. Beneath themselves, the abundant, lush crown of verdant jungle reached into the far horizon as if it would be a ocean of countless shades of green. The morning sun curtains its light generously above themselves, casting golden reflections unto the structure and glistened the leaves below. The high-wind persists as it would be forever relentless. Still, the Lifeworker remained in a unfalteringly straight and elegant standing posture, with her hands swayed casually next to her torso. 

The scenery has obviously put the Manipular in awe; Mist watched as he turned himself around and over for several times, trying to take everything in. She waited in patience until he could finally set his focus back on her once again. 

"This is the Terrarium," she walked towards the edge of the platform and faced her back towards the landscape and the lushness it comprised, then briefly opened her arms with a welcoming gesture. "My home. I have never left its abundance." 

"……You have never left…… here? The Terrarium?" the Manipular questioned in awe while approached closer to her as if he wish to prevent her from a possible fall by accident. 

"This planet, I mean." 

"Even _just_ this planet? And not even to its moons?" 

"Neigh. It was……" she inhaled; "forbidden?" 

"Why?" his voice intensified and sounded more like an interrogation. 

It was then that Mist’s ever-flowing consciousness came to an abrupt halt. She had never truly questioned the reason of herself being perpetually on Charum Hakkor. It was undoubtedly that the has Matriarch forbade it, and for Mist, the Matriarch never take actions without proper and rational reason. Besides, there was more to her being _something_ more than just an ordinary Forerunner — Mist pondered, and concluded for the moment that it is still the way it should be. 

But she wouldn't deny that she at times would want to venture. Besides, the Manipular needed an answer, and she would have to provide one. 

"Well, the Warriors have mentioned to you about my title," she began her lecture with a patient tone; "Have they said how I have gained it?"

The Manipular pondered, and his words in hesitant. "You have a tendency to collect things?" 

"Knowledge." She nodded. "There was one time — when I was a Manipular, the Matriarch took me and many of her close attendants as a delegation to the Library of Aurelix, the greatest and largest library the humans have established here on Charum Hakkor, on another continent called Aurelixim, far from where we are now. Aurelixim means _'the children born from the pillars made by golden light'_ in human tongue — _aya_ , anyway, I was caught off attention by one of their seminars held for human students as we passed by their auditoriums. I sneaked in and listened to the lecture. When that has ended, I found myself wandering into the deepest of their archive in fascination with their books. The Master Librarian there, a human, caught me reading in between the shelves and thought I was an apparition when she saw me. I had a great time, most certainly, and the whole ordeal obviously had caused much distress to my caretaker…… and that was when they have found me. The Master Librarian was patient. She called me a little helper. A Librarian."

"Hmm." His grunt sounded more trusting than the previous one made. "So you are being grounded."

Mist had to bring a hand up towards where her lips are to suppress a chuckle. "I wouldn't put it that way. My task given from the Lifeshaper requires me to be here on this planet. I observe and document the evolutionary process of all the species here on Charum Hakkor, and as you should know, the works of nature sometimes can take an extraordinary amount of time." 

"But why would you have to do that? As a First-form—" the Manipular cut his argument abruptly and shook his head. "Apologies, I've let my assumption got the better of me." 

She approached him and gazed up towards his face; "As how you have felt wronged when I called you a Manipular?" 

"Aya." 

He would have see the soft glistening of her eyes and the small upward curve on her lips soon enough, if it wasn't for the helmets they both wear. Mist paced herself away from her guest for a distance and turned her back against the other. With her eyes closed at ease, her helmet was retracted in a delicate rhythm to the back of her armor, and let the cool wind brush through her long hair of pale lilac. Her eyes looked into the far distance for a moment. A long, silent moment, while fully being aware of his presence. 

Then, she turned to him with a tender smile with lavender eyes keen and earnest, and spoke once again in a soft, ethereal tone: 

"It mattered little to my Rank — I am to protect all that you see from this very place where we are standing. I am the guardian to their right of evolution. It is my Mantle of Responsibility to bear." 

In moments, the Manipular also had his headgear slipped to the back of his armor, revealing a pale slate colored face of firm complexion and cold, piercing gazes of blue, shaded in curiosity and uncertainty. Unlike her friendly expression, his lips remained in a flat, slightly downward curve. 

"And you've found no threat from them, because they know you are their guardian?" 

"No, I have learned no threat from them because I’ve let them live, and by doing that, I learn from their culture, also various ways and mannerisms to ease their agitation before it can be triggered." 

"And when you do that, the Warriors reacted with aggression." 

"It is never the Warriors and their culture — _your_ culture, to blame," she let out a small but heartwarming smile. "Only when we work together can the many facades of the Mantle can be cohered into one. Within the Ecumene, we were separated into Rates and Ranks for a reason; and without, the abundance of variety in the millions of worlds and even beyond the Linnunrata. It is the only way to sustain the many world-lines woven for the Living Time itself. Little lives matter; every mortal thing is finite and precious." 

"Aya." He acknowledged with a robotic nod, then, almost at an instant, deterred his gaze off and towards the far horizon. 

"Yes?" She tilted her head inquiringly, and followed his line of sight. 

"Aya." He uttered again, with a long, deep sigh of which she could tell would be his words from heart — unspoken. 

Mist blinked for a few and let his words go with a soft shrug on her shoulders, and simply let the other Manipular let out a few more sighs. Perhaps it might also be one of the reason why the Matriarch has asked her to take the Manipular on a tour. _Of personal, one-on-one lecture. Perhaps he hasn't find a fitting meaning to the Mantle that he has to bear until just now._  She thought, and lowered her glance briefly, and looked towards him from the corner of her eyes once again as she sought to find a way to deter his attention and the constant gloom. It was then she noticed a flock of slender, crimson avian creatures with elongated tail feathers soaring across the Terrarium's parameter, just above the verdant mass of greens. 

"Look," she nearly chimed in glee and pointed down towards the incoming flock, then raced towards the other side of the air bridge to see them off. "Sun-birds. They’ve came back! Aya, it is about time for them to migrate from the Laterna continent in the south, that means the cycle of life on this planet is beginning to bloom once again. New lives will be born and flourish! Aya— I can’t wait to see the new hatchlings this year." 

Then she turned, and noticed how he was clearly paying more attention to her face than to the avian creatures. It was then she noticed from the light in his blue eyes, the _ember_ that kindles from within his essence. The fire within him seemed to be speaking more than just inspired passion. There were words unsaid, words that layered upon the ones he hasn't said just moment before. The revelation dawned on her like a ray of light piercing through the thunderstorm during the raining seasons. 

"……Yes?" she asked cautiously while attempting to keep her form as courteous as possible. 

"Urim," he stated, and slowly extended an opened palm towards her. His eyes merely stared back at hers, sincere and earnest. "Urim-Rekindles-the-Illustrious-Cosmos." 

She could sense the force of life thriving strong within his form, of how his spirit was pure and unyielding. Then there was a glimpse of _stagnant eternity_. The sharp wind flowed in its slowest motion and voices began to echo in her mind. _A Synchron_ , as how she could sense it be; the multiple déjà vu she has felt for many times when an overlap of memories chorused into a harmonious intent. Perhaps the Lifeshaper and the Protector knew what could happen and have arranged the meeting, but there felt more — a greater force, like an unbreakable destiny bittersweet and nostalgic; the reoccurring world-lines perceivable only by the Seers. 

Subconsciously, the First-form reached out a palm in attempt to make contact with his bare face, only to realize its inappropriateness and immediately drew herself back in a couple of steps. 

She looked back at him with widened eyes, who looked back at her with his blue eyes confounded yet still unyielding. _The eyes of leaders-to-be_ , Mist thought to herself. The memories of Seers imprinted within her beckoned her of qualities she could recall but yet able to recognize: _a leader rises, full of promise and prospects._ He would be a new figure of new generation, of which the destiny he would choose would affluence hers, where she has been chosen to live by, as how many before her has been chosen to live by in another distant day. 

Destiny. 

"Apologies." She paused and clenched her hands close to her chest in a repressed manner, attempting to ease her flustering. She took a deep inhale, this time to suppress the raising sense of nostalgia and the eternal sadness imprinted within her memories.

But Urim, despite taken by surprise by her abrupt gesture, simply let out a small, crude smile. His gazes seemed tender, as if in forgiveness, then approached the First-form. "You looked sad." He stated in a kind of soft tone which she did not expect to be heard from him. "Was it my name? Has it…… beckoned undesirable memories?" He asked, his voice still attentive.

"Neigh," she shook her head gently and took another another inhale before she could stare towards his face once again. "I am Silent-Mist-of-Eternal-Memories. You may call me Mist." 

"Mist." He called, quietly but surely, enough for her alone to hear. An empty palm he has offered towards her, whose attention has quickly brought towards his hand gesture. Her gaze then trailed again from along his arms to meet his face and noticed how a tint of soft crimson has smeared upon his usual pale cheeks, despite his stance has remained helplessly stiff as any other trained Warriors. The light in his eyes felt aspiring and brave, like the _first-fire_ of a million stars, kindled at their birth.

"Urim." She responded; "in Archaic Digon, the _Archlight._  The  _Primordial-Fire_ that proved the Forerunners of our birthright."

"Aya." He let out a grin; appeased by her knowledge. "You are indeed the Librarian."

Mist made no other expression than a bitter smile, and finally respond to his gesture in offering friendship by clasping his outreaching palm with both of her own hands. The Lifeworker First-form and a Manipular from the Warrior Rate thus befriended with one another. Her soft lavender eyes blinked tenderly before she let out one final sigh. "Thank you," she spoke again in humble appreciation; for once, she felt his resilience, as if he would be an anchor, reliable and substantial. 

"Aya," he said, and merely lowered his hands while grasping her much slenderer one within his palm, then turned back towards the gusting terrain still stood abundantly within the force of living nature, far where two towering ridges settled the skyline with their magnificent dark bluish facade. "I wish to venture more." 

"To where?" 

"I have noticed something as our ships were approaching this planet. There," he pointed towards the west beyond the Terrarium's outer parameter, where an overgrowth of trees has created an intriguing lump that stood out from the usual lush. 

"Aya, sadly that place is not within the Terrarium." 

"But are we not following the protocol already?" 

"That isn't one of the Terrarium's garden." she gazed at her new friend defensively, and he promptly challenged. 

"More than a garden." He contemplated; " _Your_ garden." 

Mist sighed and nodded as an acknowledgement to his sharp sense. "It is where everything starts — and restarts. I have left it untamed to its own governance. There, the Living Time flows stronger than the Lifeworkers' influence. Alas, there can be carnivorous creatures, and they can be aggressive during this season." 

"I've expected as much." 

"The Warriors have warned you." 

"If I get hurt, it would be solely out of my incapability to keep peace. But if you can teach me how to avoid conflicts, I can learn on the way." 

His voice sounded humble enough to convince her, and the First-form couldn't help but to accept it.

"The Matriarch and the Protector have entrusted you to me, and I do take responsibility to look after you." She insisted nevertheless, and with a soft tug on their arms, led him from the bridge and towards the exit which would take them back to ground level. "The Protector would need to know before she could choose to grant me such permission for taking you there."

Urim nodded. "She will," he tightened his grip on her hand as he followed.


End file.
